yarpmanager and stdio tag

[valeriosperati]

Hi, I wrote a simple xml file read by yarpmanager. The file successfully launch the simulator on the node "nodo_valerio" .

<application>
    <name>Valerio example</name>
    <dependencies>
        <port>/nodo_valerio</port>
    </dependencies>

    <module>
        <name>iCub_SIM</name>
        <parameters></parameters>
        <node>nodo_valerio</node>
        <stdio>/nodo_valerio</stdio>
        <tag>simulator</tag>
    </module>

</application>

Node was created launching:

$ yarprun --server /nodo_valerio

Now, I would like to see the console output of the simulator on a console of the same node.
As you can see, I added parameter with the node name in xml file. Where should the console output appear? I would expect it where I launched yarprun, but I'm clearly wrong.
Thanks, valerio

[pattacini]

Hi @valeriosperati

I honestly don't know whether the stdio option is still functional. In the past, I happen to use it only with the console as the output node; I've never tested it in different configurations.

Unless you have a particular goal in mind, the latest recommended way to log modules' printouts is through the yarplogger utility. You have to meet two requirements to this end:

1. Launch the yarprun in log mode: yarprun --server /node-name --log
2. Within your modules rely on yWarning, yDebug, yInfo... services in order to redirect the output.

Related issues: #170.

cc @apaikan

[valeriosperati]

Ok, I'll try. Is there some documentation about yarplogger? The page
www.yarp.it/yarplogger.html
is empty. Is there some example on how to redirect the output?
Thanks!

[pattacini]

Unfortunately, we don't have a proper documentation yet (see robotology/yarp#870).

However, from the code, it's quite simple to redirect the output. Just do:

#include <yarp/os/LogStream.h>
using namespace yarp::os;
// ...
yInfo()<<"This is a [INFO] message";
yDebug()<<"This is a [DEBUG] message";
yWarning()<<"This is a [WARNING] message";
// ...

From the xml you don't have to do anything special; only make sure that the yarprun instances are launched with the --log option.

Before launching your application, start the yarplogger tool and press on the play button.

[valeriosperati]

Ok, thanks for the code, but I guess it is ok only for custom code, where I can insert these lines. How can I do with the iCub_SIM?

[pattacini]

iCub_SIM should be already using the new logging functionalities. Anyway, don't worry, yarplogger is smart enough to catch also those printouts that are not nicely formatted (e.g. cout, cerr, printf...), although keep in mind that we discourage their usage.

[valeriosperati]

mmm... I'm missing something. I did run this test:

1. launched yarprun
   yarprun --server /nodo_valerio --log

2. launched yarplogger
   yarplogger

3. launched yarpmanager reading my custom xml file, (it will start icub_SIM and yarpview, when requested)

4. start the logger, hitting "Play" on the logger interface

5. run the icub_SIM on yarpmanager

6. finally, I hit "Save Log Session" on logger interface

The save log file simply display
10
No info about the simulator.

In a second test, if I run the icub_SIM with yarpview module and save the log, I have some info about yarpview:

1
1
150.146.65.56
/log/nodo_valerio/yarpview/11913
/nodo_valerio
log
yarpview
11913
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
4
0
0.000001
0
<#STRING_START#>/icub_left_modified
<#STRING_END#>
1
0.000582
0
<#STRING_START#>yarp: Port /icub_left_modified active at tcp://150.146.65.56:10055/
<#STRING_END#>
2
5.276665
0
<#STRING_START#>yarp: Receiving input from /icubSim/cam/left to /icub_left_modified using udp
<#STRING_END#>
3
5.407396
0
<#STRING_START#>Surface STARTED! Dimensions: 320x240 -- PixelFormat: 3
<#STRING_END#>

In both cases, no info about the simulator. I think that logger takes only some custom messages (as you suggested), and not the console output. Is it correct?

[pattacini]

Well, I ran a quick test on my side with the following simple application:

<application>
    <name>Test</name>
    <dependencies></dependencies>
    <module>
        <name>iCub_SIM</name>
        <dependencies>
            <port timeout="20">/yarplogger</port>
        </dependencies>
        <node>pattacini</node>
    </module>
</application>

obtaining the attached log_pattacini_iCub_SIM_1752.txt, which pretty much contains all the required info, including unformatted strings.

I'm using yarp/devel and icub-main/devel on a Windows machine.

In particular, what I did was just right-clicking on the log (left panel) to then select the option to save on file.

[valeriosperati]

Thanks! I managed to make it work. What was missing in my xml file was the line

<dependencies>
<port timeout="20">/yarplogger</port>
</dependencies>

in the module description icub_SIM.
Test run on Debian 8.7 Jessie.

[valeriosperati]

Closing the issue :)